Can meditating be dangerous?

Discussion of meditation in the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions.
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reddust
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by reddust »

han wrote:I am talking about entity interference/attachment and or influence/possession.

Just wondering if anyone knew of such things or had experience witnessing it or otherwise.

What does working with internal energies mean? I am not familiar with this.
The only entities I had interference with were aversion, craving, and ignorance regarding self.
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Qing Tian
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by Qing Tian »

Han wrote:
What does working with internal energies mean? I am not familiar with this.
That rather depends on whether you are familiar with and/or accept the Traditional Chinese Medicine view of the body. This book by Mantak Chia explains it better than I could. It's kind of a large subject though.

Good luck!
“Not till your thoughts cease all their branching here and there, not till you abandon all thoughts of seeking for something, not till your mind is motionless as wood or stone, will you be on the right road to the Gate.”
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dzogchungpa
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

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Ayu
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by Ayu »

If somebody mixes psychedelic or other drugs with meditation it may be dangerous for the mental health. That's why the fifth sila recommends "No drugs".
"No meditation" would be worse.

And: whatever happens, it comes from inside anyhow. But that is difficult to understand. It is easier to think, bad energies are coming from outside, taking possession of me.
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by Jesse »

han wrote:I am talking about entity interference/attachment and or influence/possession.

Just wondering if anyone knew of such things or had experience witnessing it or otherwise.

What does working with internal energies mean? I am not familiar with this.
I have, and what I mentioned to you before is normally the case, in the rare cases it is not, spirits are just like us, some of them suffer badly, some of them are wise, some are benevolent, others are malevolent. If you wish for them to leave you alone, do not give them what they want, which is a reaction. Do not fear them, do not become angry at them, treat them with compassion and try your best to let them go. They eventually will go away. If not it may be the case you need to see a doctor, and a teacher both.
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philji
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by philji »

Yes I think it can.. I have met so many people who after meditating for just a short while now consider themselves to be an expert. They label themselves as a meditator and sagger around with a peaceful demeanour hiding the negative emotions deep inside..." Me I never get angry......I have lived in ashrams in India.........my guru is the highest emanation on the planet" these ar just some of the things they can be heard to say.......if encountered please apply a liberal dose of skepticism and continue your way..... :rules:
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by wisdom »

More dangerous than meditating is never meditating.
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by Schrödinger’s Yidam »

reddust wrote:
han wrote:I am talking about entity interference/attachment and or influence/possession.

Just wondering if anyone knew of such things or had experience witnessing it or otherwise.

What does working with internal energies mean? I am not familiar with this.
The only entities I had interference with were aversion, craving, and ignorance regarding self.
:good:
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by han »

Jesse wrote:
han wrote:I am talking about entity interference/attachment and or influence/possession.

Just wondering if anyone knew of such things or had experience witnessing it or otherwise.

What does working with internal energies mean? I am not familiar with this.
I have, and what I mentioned to you before is normally the case, in the rare cases it is not, spirits are just like us, some of them suffer badly, some of them are wise, some are benevolent, others are malevolent. If you wish for them to leave you alone, do not give them what they want, which is a reaction. Do not fear them, do not become angry at them, treat them with compassion and try your best to let them go. They eventually will go away. If not it may be the case you need to see a doctor, and a teacher both.
What if the entity seems to have dual possession - can use the voice, can make one cry etc and the person is still completely clear.

It is sad and anyone else would simply scoff.

Take care.

:namaste:
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han
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by han »

Qing Tian wrote:Han wrote:
What does working with internal energies mean? I am not familiar with this.
That rather depends on whether you are familiar with and/or accept the Traditional Chinese Medicine view of the body. This book by Mantak Chia explains it better than I could. It's kind of a large subject though.

Good luck!
Thanks. Never heard of this stuff before and have no idea what Jinzang actually meant.
:namaste:
The highest teaching is selfless love . Who can meet this standard?
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avisitor
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by avisitor »

han wrote:Those of you who have seen me in Prayers forum know that my Mother has recently had some trouble.

She started some qigong and meditation exercises about a year or two ago. I do not really know what happened, but we are a very ordinary, boring :) family and my Mother has always been a good, decent, honest and fair person who is also considerate of others and unselfish in her dealings.

Now many people are pointing out to me how meditating can be dangerous. Even a friend who is a Chinese Buddhist said their Master only teaches chanting but never meditation. This is new to me as I thought all Buddhist schools emphasise meditation.

Does anyone know why or how entity issues might arise with meditation, and is meditating really a risk like so many say? I would have never believed this but after the current difficulties with Mother, I too am more questioning.

:namaste:
Not all forms of Buddhism have meditation.
I believe Pureland Buddhism is one which emphasizes chanting.
Would not say their method is better or worse ... just different.

For me, Meditation has not been dangerous unless trying to do it while trying to do something else which requires my full attention.
Been practicing on and off for about 30 years.
Some times with a teacher but mostly without.
tingdzin
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by tingdzin »

The question of entity possession or attachment is a tricky and involved one. Generally, though, one might say that while very advanced meditators are able to contact beings not perceptible to ordinary people, if one is not advanced, one might have strong feelings about seeing ghosts, or communicating with spirit beings, but the situation cannot be explained as simply as that. To begin with, many people (not only the insane) have experiences of hearing voices, but unless one acts on their promptings, there is usually no trouble. It is a serious mistake to regard such voices as being some sort of entity that is wiser or more trustworthy than one's own conscience; in fact, they are just aspects of one's own brain that may emerge under stress (or possibly from practicing an intensely concentrated meditation, such as some types of chigung).

On the other hand, meditation can reveal one's own mind to oneself to a degree that some people would find unbearable, and this could cause irrational or extreme behavior, as the person attempts to find new guideposts to replace those he or she has trusted all his or her life.

These are just general suggestions. It is impossible to make a good assessment without knowing the whole situation.

Aside to Tidathep:

f you can find a real teacher, meditation can be a wonderful way to deepen your understanding of dhamma. It takes discipline, but if you have instruction, it should not be dangerous.
han
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by han »

Thanks

Voice is externalised in a different tone :namaste:
The highest teaching is selfless love . Who can meet this standard?
theanarchist
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Re: Can meditating be dangerous?

Post by theanarchist »

Yep, can be dangerous as it is a potent tool.

Firstly you could do it wrong. You could meditate too much, just like you don't learn to run a marathon in a few days you won't be able to meditate for long periods right away. A lot of westerners are quite ambitious in an unhealthy way.

And secondly people with certain mental/emotional problems should beware, as meditation/ the concentration and deprivation of stimulation increases mental processes. So a person who is already mentally unstable might become more unstable instead of less when extensively meditating.
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